SM UC-34 was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 20 November 1915 and was launched on 6 May 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 25 September 1916 as SM UC-34.[Note 1] In nine patrols UC-34 was credited with sinking 21 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid.
| History | |
|---|---|
 German Empire | |
| Name | UC-34 |
| Ordered | 20 November 1915[1] |
| Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg[2] |
| Yard number | 275[1] |
| Launched | 6 May 1916[1] |
| Commissioned | 25 September 1916[1] |
| Fate | Scuttled at Pola, 30 October 1918[1] |
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Type UC II submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Draught | 3.65 m (12 ft) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement | 26 |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | 35-second diving time |
| Service record[1] | |
| Part of: |
|
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | 9 patrols |
| Victories: | |
On 30 December 1917 under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Horst Obermüller, UC-34 torpedoed the British troop ship HMT Aragon off the Port of Alexandria.[4][5] Aragon's escort, the destroyer HMS Attack, rescued 300 to 400 survivors but then UC-34 torpedoed and sank her was well. Of 2,500 personnel who had been aboard Aragon, 610 were killed.[4][5]
UC-34 was scuttled at Pola on 28 October 1918 on the surrender of Austria-Hungary.[1]
Design
editA Type UC II submarine, UC-34 had a displacement of 427 tonnes (420 long tons) when at the surface and 509 tonnes (501 long tons) while submerged. She had a length overall of 50.35 m (165 ft 2 in) o/a, a beam of 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in), and a draught of 3.65 m (12 ft). The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing 300 metric horsepower (220 kW; 300 shp) (a total of 600 metric horsepower (440 kW; 590 shp)), two electric motors producing 460 metric horsepower (340 kW; 450 shp), and two propeller shafts. She had a dive time of 35 seconds and was capable of operating at a depth of 50 metres (160 ft).[3]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph) and a submerged speed of 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h; 7.8 mph). When submerged, she could operate for 54 nautical miles (100 km; 62 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 10,180 nautical miles (18,850 km; 11,710 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph). UC-34 was fitted with six 100 centimetres (39 in) mine tubes, eighteen UC 200 mines, three 50 centimetres (20 in) torpedo tubes (one on the stern and two on the bow), seven torpedoes, and one 8.8 cm (3.5 in) Uk L/30 deck gun. Her complement was twenty-six crew members.
Summary of raiding history
edit| Date | Name | Nationality | Tonnage[Note 2] | Fate[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 December 1916 | Maud |  France
|
176 | Sunk |
| 28 December 1916 | Seedonis |  Russian Empire
|
284 | Sunk |
| 6 April 1917 | Rahmanich |  Egypt
|
100 | Sunk |
| 6 April 1917 | Spithead |  United Kingdom
|
4,697 | Sunk |
| 8 April 1917 | Geilan Bahri | United Kingdom
|
19 | Sunk |
| 10 April 1917 | Fotis |  Greece
|
3,526 | Damaged |
| 11 April 1917 | Imperial Transport | United Kingdom
|
4,648 | Sunk |
| 4 May 1917 | Cameleon |  French Navy
|
179 | Sunk |
| 31 May 1917 | Ozarda | United Kingdom
|
4,791 | Damaged |
| 2 June 1917 | Cameronian | United Kingdom
|
5,861 | Sunk |
| 7 June 1917 | Liliana |  Kingdom of Italy
|
70 | Sunk |
| 30 June 1917 | Caledonien | France
|
4,140 | Sunk |
| 13 September 1917 | Bengali | United Kingdom
|
5,684 | Damaged |
| 25 October 1917 | Euston | United Kingdom
|
2,841 | Sunk |
| 12 November 1917 | Barbary | United Kingdom
|
4,185 | Sunk |
| 30 December 1917 | HMT Aragon |  Royal Navy
|
9,588 | Sunk |
| 30 December 1917 | HMS Attack | Royal Navy
|
785 | Sunk |
| 31 December 1917 | HMS Osmanieh | Royal Navy
|
4,041 | Sunk |
| 8 April 1918 | Bengali | United Kingdom
|
5,684 | Sunk |
| 9 April 1918 | Vasconia |  Norway
|
3,052 | Sunk |
| 1 August 1918 | Columbia |  Denmark
|
5,570 | Sunk |
| 6 August 1918 | Clan Macneil | United Kingdom
|
3,939 | Sunk |
| 10 August 1918 | Patra | France
|
45 | Sunk |
| 10 August 1918 | Tatarrax | United Kingdom
|
6,216 | Sunk |
Notes
edit- ^ "SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" (English: His Majesty's) and combined with the U for Unterseeboot would be translated as His Majesty's Submarine.
- ^ Merchant ship tonnages are in gross register tons. Military vessels are listed by tons displacement.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Helgason, Guðmundur. "WWI U-boats: UC 34". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
- ^ Tarrant 1989, p. 173
- ^ a b Gröner 1991, pp. 31–32.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit during WWI: Aragon". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Last Song on Doomed Ship". The Northern Star. Lismore, New South Wales. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Ships hit by UC 34". German and Austrian U-boats of World War I - Kaiserliche Marine - Uboat.net. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
References
edit- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-907-8. OCLC 12119866.
- Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). German Warships 1815–1945, U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. Vol. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
- Tarrant, V.E. (1989). The U-Boat Offensive: 1914–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-764-7. OCLC 20338385.